1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instant photo film pack and an instant camera for use with the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an instant photo film pack with which an instant camera can be loaded easily and quickly, and which is constituted of less costly parts, together with an instant camera for use with the same.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
JP-A 7-209814 discloses an instant photo film pack for use with an instant camera. The instant photo film pack consists of a light-tight container, which is formed from hard plastic, and shaped in a box with a small height. A stack of a plurality of photo film units is contained in the light-tight container. The photo film units are a self-processing type, and for example a mono-sheet type.
The light-tight container has an exposure opening and an exit opening for ejection of the photo film units after an exposure. Inside the light-tight container, a thin light-tight cover plate of hard plastic is overlaid on an exposure surface of an uppermost one of the photo film units for keeping ambient light from entry in the exposure opening. A spring mechanism is contained between a lowest one of the photo film units and an inside wall for pushing the photo film units toward the exposure opening. The light-tight container for the instant photo film pack is structurally complicated and costly, but discarded as waste after exposing all the photo film units. This causes problems in high cost, ineffective use of resources and harm of industrial waste to environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,869 discloses the instant photo film pack in which a stack of the photo film units is enclosed in a light-tight bag having flexibility. The instant photo film pack is initially inserted in a magazine before being placed in the instant camera. The magazine includes a cutter for cutting the light-tight bag in the instant photo film pack, and pairs of rollers for ejecting the light-tight bag from the magazine.
One of the pairs of the rollers are disposed on a lid of the magazine. When the lid is closed after inserting the instant photo film pack into the magazine, the one end of the light-tight bag is squeezed by the one pair of the rollers. The opposite end of the light-tight bag is squeezed at a rear end of the magazine. When the instant camera is loaded with the magazine, the cutter disposed in the magazine is actuated to cut the opposite end of the light-tight bag. The pair of the rollers are rotated by a drive mechanism of the instant camera, to eject the light-tight bag from the magazine.
JP-A 3-89338 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,148) discloses a photo film sheet cartridge in which a stack of X-ray photo film sheets is enclosed in a light-tight bag having flexibility. The photo film sheet cartridge is initially inserted in a magazine before being placed in an X-ray optical instrument.
The instant photo film pack and the photo film sheet cartridge according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,869 and JP-A 3-89338 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,148) are for use with the magazine, and require a double loading operation including insertion of the instant photo film pack into the magazine and insertion of the magazine into the instant camera or optical instrument. The loading operation of the photo film units is complicated and cannot be effected quickly or conveniently.